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Stellatelli OA, Bonavita MI, Victorel C, Gómez Alés R, Moreno Azócar DL, Block C, Cruz FB. Thermo-physiological changes and reproductive investment in a liolaemid lizard at the extreme of the slow-fast continuum. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb247506. [PMID: 38826150 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.247506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Gravid female lizards often experience reduced thermal preferences and impaired locomotor performance. These changes have been attributed to the physical burden of the clutch, but some authors have suggested that they may be due to physiological adjustments. We compared the thermal biology and locomotor performance of the lizard Liolaemus wiegmannii 1 week before and 1 week after oviposition. We found that gravid females had a thermal preference 1°C lower than that of non-gravid females. This was accompanied by a change in the thermal dependence of maximum running speed. The thermal optimum for locomotor performance was 2.6°C lower before oviposition than after. At relatively low temperatures (22 and 26°C), running speeds of females before oviposition were up to 31% higher than for females after oviposition. However, at temperatures above 26°C, females achieved similar maximum running speeds (∼1.5 m s-1) regardless of reproductive stage. The magnitude of the changes in thermal parameters and locomotor performance of L. wiegmannii females was independent of relative clutch mass (clutches weighed up to 89% of post-oviposition body mass). This suggests that the changes are not simply due to the clutch mass, but are also due to physiological adjustments. Liolaemus wiegmannii females simultaneously adjusted their own physiology in a short period in order to improve locomotor performance and allocated energy for embryonic development during late gravid stage. Our findings have implications for understanding the mechanisms underlying life histories of lizards on the fast extreme of the slow-fast continuum, where physiological exhaustion could play an important role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar A Stellatelli
- Grupo Vertebrados, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, B7602AYJ Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mauro I Bonavita
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente (INIBIOMA), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y ́ Técnicas - Universidad Nacional del Comahue, 8400 San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Candela Victorel
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente (INIBIOMA), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y ́ Técnicas - Universidad Nacional del Comahue, 8400 San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Rodrigo Gómez Alés
- Gabinete Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido (DIBIOVA), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, J5402DCS San Juan, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Centro Científico Tecnológico CONICET San Juan, J5400ARL San Juan, San Juan, Argentina
| | - Débora L Moreno Azócar
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente (INIBIOMA), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y ́ Técnicas - Universidad Nacional del Comahue, 8400 San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Carolina Block
- Grupo Vertebrados, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, B7602AYJ Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Félix B Cruz
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente (INIBIOMA), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y ́ Técnicas - Universidad Nacional del Comahue, 8400 San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
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2
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Barauna AA, Conte MI, Leporati JL, Quiroga LB, Sanabria EA, Fornés MW. Testosterone is closely related to Leydig cell activity, environmental factors, and androgen receptor distribution in adult male lizards of Liolaemus cuyanus (Reptilia: Liolaemidae) during the reproductive cycle. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART A, ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 341:421-430. [PMID: 38369873 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Testosterone, the primary sex hormone in male lizards, is closely linked to Leydig cell activity (the cells where steroidogenesis occurs) throughout the reproductive cycle, but testosterone action is related to androgen receptors (ARs) distribution in the seminiferous epithelium. In temperate zones, environmental factors detected through the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, downregulate plasma testosterone, resulting in a seasonal reproductive cycle. The aim of this work is to study plasma testosterone in adult male lizards of Liolaemus cuyanus, an oviparous species, throughout its reproductive cycle and its relationship with Leydig cell histology, TotalLeydigCell/ActiveLeydigCell (TLC/ALC) ratio, environmental factors (temperature, relative humidity and solar irradiation) and ARs distribution in seminiferous epithelium. Specimens (N = 27) were captured (October to March) in a semi-arid zone (Valle de Matagusanos, San Juan, Argentina) and grouped into three relevant reproductive periods: pre-reproductive (PrR), reproductive (R), and post-reproductive (PsR). Significant differences in plasma testosterone were found among these periods, highest during R than in PsR. A significant positive correlation between plasma testosterone and TLC/ALC ratio was also observed. Plasma testosterone has a significant positive correlation only with solar irradiation, but not with the other variables. In PrR and R, ARs distribution was cytoplasmic and nuclear, shifting to only cytoplasmic in PsR. These results highlight the close correspondence between plasma testosterone, Leydig cell histology and activity, environmental factors, and ARs distribution, resulting in a synchronization that allows males of L. cuyanus to coordinate their reproductive cycle with the most favorable environmental conditions, probably for mating and birth of offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Anabella Barauna
- IHEM (Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza)-CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas-Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
| | - María Inés Conte
- IHEM (Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza)-CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas-Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Jorge Leandro Leporati
- Universidad Nacional de San Luis, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Agropecuarias, San Luis, Argentina
| | - Lorena Beatriz Quiroga
- ICB, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, CONICET, Facultad de Filosofía Humanidades y Artes, San Juan, Argentina
| | - Eduardo Alfredo Sanabria
- ICB, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, CONICET, Facultad de Filosofía Humanidades y Artes, San Juan, Argentina
- Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Miguel Walter Fornés
- IHEM (Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza)-CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas-Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
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3
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Giacometti D, Palaoro AV, Leal LC, de Barros FC. How seasonality influences the thermal biology of lizards with different thermoregulatory strategies: a meta-analysis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:409-429. [PMID: 37872698 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Ectotherms that maintain thermal balance in the face of varying climates should be able to colonise a wide range of habitats. In lizards, thermoregulation usually appears as a variety of behaviours that buffer external influences over physiology. Basking species rely on solar radiation to raise body temperatures and usually show high thermoregulatory precision. By contrast, species that do not bask are often constrained by climatic conditions in their habitats, thus having lower thermoregulatory precision. While much focus has been given to the effects of mean habitat temperatures, relatively less is known about how seasonality affects the thermal biology of lizards on a macroecological scale. Considering the current climate crisis, assessing how lizards cope with temporal variations in environmental temperature is essential to understand better how these organisms will fare under climate change. Activity body temperatures (Tb ) represent the internal temperature of an animal measured in nature during its active period (i.e. realised thermal niche), and preferred body temperatures (Tpref ) are those selected by an animal in a laboratory thermal gradient that lacks thermoregulatory costs (i.e. fundamental thermal niche). Both traits form the bulk of thermal ecology research and are often studied in the context of seasonality. In this study, we used a meta-analysis to test how environmental temperature seasonality influences the seasonal variation in the Tb and Tpref of lizards that differ in thermoregulatory strategy (basking versus non-basking). Based on 333 effect sizes from 137 species, we found that Tb varied over a greater magnitude than Tpref across seasons. Variations in Tb were not influenced by environmental temperature seasonality; however, body size and thermoregulatory strategy mediated Tb responses. Specifically, larger species were subjected to greater seasonal variations in Tb , and basking species endured greater seasonal variations in Tb compared to non-basking species. On the other hand, the seasonal variation in Tpref increased with environmental temperature seasonality regardless of body size. Thermoregulatory strategy also influenced Tpref , suggesting that behaviour has an important role in mediating Tpref responses to seasonal variations in the thermal landscape. After controlling for phylogenetic effects, we showed that Tb and Tpref varied significantly across lizard families. Taken together, our results support the notion that the relationship between thermal biology responses and climatic parameters can be taxon and trait dependent. Our results also showcase the importance of considering ecological and behavioural aspects in macroecological studies. We further highlight current systematic, geographical, and knowledge gaps in thermal ecology research. Our work should benefit those who aim to understand more fully how seasonality shapes thermal biology in lizards, ultimately contributing to the goal of elucidating the evolution of temperature-sensitive traits in ectotherms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danilo Giacometti
- Departamento de Ecologia e Biologia Evolutiva, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Rua Professor Artur Riedel 275, Diadema, São Paulo, 09972-270, Brasil
- Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, L2S3A1, Canada
| | - Alexandre V Palaoro
- Departamento de Ecologia e Biologia Evolutiva, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Rua Professor Artur Riedel 275, Diadema, São Paulo, 09972-270, Brasil
- Department of Material Sciences and Engineering, 490 Sirrine Hall, Clemson University, 515 Calhoun Dr, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão Trav. 14, São Paulo, 05508-090, Brasil
- Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Avenida Coronel Francisco H. dos Santos 100, Curitiba, Paraná, 82590-300, Brasil
| | - Laura C Leal
- Departamento de Ecologia e Biologia Evolutiva, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Rua Professor Artur Riedel 275, Diadema, São Paulo, 09972-270, Brasil
| | - Fábio C de Barros
- Departamento de Ecologia e Biologia Evolutiva, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Rua Professor Artur Riedel 275, Diadema, São Paulo, 09972-270, Brasil
- Departamento de Biociências, Universidade do Estado de Minas Gerais, Avenida Juca Stockler 1130, Passos, Minas Gerais, 37900-106, Brasil
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4
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Auge AC, Blouin-Demers G, Murray DL. Effects of temperature heterogeneity on freshwater turtle habitat selection at their northern range limit. J Therm Biol 2023; 118:103725. [PMID: 37944299 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2023.103725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Environmental temperature is a crucial resource for ectotherms, affecting their physiology, behaviour and fitness. To maintain body temperatures within a suitable performance range, ectotherms select thermally-favourable locations, but this selection may be challenging in environments with high spatio-temporal heterogeneity. We assessed thermal habitat selection in two freshwater turtles (Emydoidea blandingii; Chrysemys picta) within a thermally heterogeneous environment at two spatial scales (selection of home ranges within the landscape, selection of locations within home ranges) and across seasons, by comparing temperatures at turtle locations vs. those available in the environment. Turtles selected warmer locations compared to those available in aquatic and terrestrial habitats only within home ranges, but did not show any temperature preferences when selecting home ranges at the larger scale. Turtles selected locations that were less thermally-variable than their surroundings, both at the home range scale and within home ranges. Thermal habitat selection was strongest during colder and more thermally-variable pre-nesting season compared to later periods. Despite differences in thermal mass between species, both species responded similarly to temperature variation. We conclude that freshwater turtles at their northern range margin select suitable microclimates within the suite of conditions that are naturally available.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Dennis L Murray
- Department of Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada
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Karameta E, Gavriilidi I, Sfenthourakis S, Pafilis P. Seasonal Variation in the Thermoregulation Pattern of an Insular Agamid Lizard. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:3195. [PMID: 37893919 PMCID: PMC10603691 DOI: 10.3390/ani13203195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Ectotherms, including lizards, rely on behavioral thermoregulation to maintain their body temperature within an optimal range. The benign climate of islands is expected to favor the thermoregulation efficiency of reptiles throughout their activity period. In this study, we investigated the seasonal variation in thermoregulation in an insular population of the roughtail rock agama (Laudakia stellio) on Naxos Island, Greece. We measured body, operative, and preferred temperatures across three seasons (spring, summer, and autumn), and we evaluated the effectiveness of thermoregulation, using the Hertz index (E). Our results revealed that the effectiveness of thermoregulation was significantly influenced by seasonality. E was quite high in summer (0.97) and spring (0.92), and lowest in autumn (0.81). Accordingly, the quality of the thermal environment was significantly low during autumn, and maximum during summer. However, despite the environmental temperature fluctuations, lizards exhibited remarkable stability in body temperatures. They also adjusted their preferred temperatures seasonally and doubled the thermal niche breadth they occupied during summer, thus enhancing thermoregulation efficiency. Whether or not these adjustments are plastic or fixed local adaptations remains to be explored in further research across multiple years and seasons, including additional insular populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanouela Karameta
- Section of Zoology and Marine Biology, Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Ilissia, 15784 Athens, Greece; (I.G.); (P.P.)
| | - Ioanna Gavriilidi
- Section of Zoology and Marine Biology, Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Ilissia, 15784 Athens, Greece; (I.G.); (P.P.)
- Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Spyros Sfenthourakis
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Panepistimiou 1, 2109 Nicosia, Cyprus;
| | - Panayiotis Pafilis
- Section of Zoology and Marine Biology, Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Ilissia, 15784 Athens, Greece; (I.G.); (P.P.)
- Zoological Museum, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupolis, 15784 Athens, Greece
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Valdez Ovallez FM, Gómez Alés R, Astudillo V, Córdoba M, Fava G, Acosta R, Blanco G, Villavicencio J, Acosta JC. Thermal biology and locomotor performance of the Andean lizard
Liolaemus fitzgeraldi
(Liolaemidae) in Argentina. ACTA ZOOL-STOCKHOLM 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/azo.12440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Franco M. Valdez Ovallez
- Gabinete de Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales Universidad Nacional de San Juan San Juan Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) San Juan Argentina
| | - Rodrigo Gómez Alés
- Gabinete de Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales Universidad Nacional de San Juan San Juan Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) San Juan Argentina
| | - Vanesa Astudillo
- Gabinete de Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales Universidad Nacional de San Juan San Juan Argentina
| | - Mariela Córdoba
- Gabinete de Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales Universidad Nacional de San Juan San Juan Argentina
| | - Gustavo Fava
- Gabinete de Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales Universidad Nacional de San Juan San Juan Argentina
| | - Rodrigo Acosta
- Gabinete de Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales Universidad Nacional de San Juan San Juan Argentina
| | - Graciela Blanco
- Gabinete de Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales Universidad Nacional de San Juan San Juan Argentina
| | - José Villavicencio
- Gabinete de Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales Universidad Nacional de San Juan San Juan Argentina
| | - Juan Carlos Acosta
- Gabinete de Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales Universidad Nacional de San Juan San Juan Argentina
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7
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Gómez Alés R, Acosta JC, Astudillo V, Córdoba M. Season-sex interaction induces changes in the ecophysiological traits of a lizard in a high altitude cold desert, Puna region. J Therm Biol 2022; 103:103152. [PMID: 35027202 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2021.103152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Functional traits are those characteristics of organisms that influence the ability of a species to develop in a habitat and persist in the face of environmental changes. The traits are often affected by a multiplicity of species-dependent and external factors. Our objective was to investigate thermal biology of Liolaemus ruibali in a high altitude cold desert at the arid Puna region, Argentina. We address the following question: do sex and seasonal variations in environmental temperature induce changes in the ecophysiological traits? We measured and compared the operative temperatures between fall and spring; and between sexes and seasons, we compared the ecophysiological traits of lizards, microenvironmental temperatures and thermoregulatory behavior. Air and operative temperatures were different between seasons. We found an effect of season-sex interaction on field body temperatures, preferred temperatures, panting threshold and thermal quality. The voluntary and critical temperatures presented seasonal variation in relation to changes in environmental temperatures, suggesting thermal acclimatization. We note behavioral changes between seasons, with the substrate being the main resource for gaining heat in spring. We conclude that Liolaemus ruibali is an efficient thermoregulator; it is a eurythermic lizard and presents phenotypic plasticity in different ecophysiological and behavioral traits induced by sex and seasonality. In addition, we predict that this population could buffer the effects of projected global warming scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Gómez Alés
- DIBIOVA (Gabinete Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (O), Rivadavia, J5402DCS, San Juan, Argentina; CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), San Juan, Argentina.
| | - Juan Carlos Acosta
- DIBIOVA (Gabinete Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (O), Rivadavia, J5402DCS, San Juan, Argentina
| | - Vanesa Astudillo
- DIBIOVA (Gabinete Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (O), Rivadavia, J5402DCS, San Juan, Argentina; CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), San Juan, Argentina
| | - Mariela Córdoba
- DIBIOVA (Gabinete Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (O), Rivadavia, J5402DCS, San Juan, Argentina; CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), San Juan, Argentina
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Victorica Erostarbe AE, Fava GA, Acosta JC. Restricted use of space in an endemic lizard of the Andes: addressing the effects of intrinsic and environmental factors. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03120-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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9
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Correspondence between thermal biology and locomotor performance in a liolaemid lizard from the southeastern coastal Pampas of Argentina. J Therm Biol 2021; 105:103173. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2021.103173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Revised: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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10
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Brizio MV, Cabezas-Cartes F, Fernández JB, Gómez Alés R, Avila LJ. Vulnerability to global warming of the critically endangered Añelo Sand Dunes Lizard (Liolaemus cuyumhue) from the Monte Desert, Patagonia Argentina. CAN J ZOOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2020-0305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The body temperature of lizards is strongly influenced by the thermal quality of microhabitats, exploiting the favourable environmental temperatures, and avoiding exposure to extreme thermal conditions. For these reasons, reptile populations are considered to be especially vulnerable to changes in environmental temperatures produced by climate change. Here, we study the thermal physiology of the critically endangered Añelo Sand Dunes Lizard (Liolaemus cuyumhue Avila, Morando, Perez and Sites, 2009). We hypothesise that (i) there is a thermal coadaptation between optimal temperature for locomotor performance of L. cuyumhue and its thermal preference; (ii) L. cuyumhue lives in an environment with low thermal quality; and (iii) a rise in environmental temperatures due to global warming will impose a decrement in locomotor speed represented by lower warming tolerance and narrower thermal safety margins, increasing their already high vulnerability. We recorded field body temperatures (T b), preferred body temperatures (T pref), the operative temperature (T e), and the thermal sensitivity of locomotion at different body temperatures. Our results indicate that this lizard is not currently under environmental stress or exceeding its thermal limits, but that it is thermoregulating below T pref to avoid overheating, and that an increase in environmental temperature higher than 3.5 °C will strongly affect the use of microhabitats with direct sun exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Victoria Brizio
- Facultad de Ciencias del Ambiente y la Salud, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, CONICET, Buenos Aires 1400, Neuquén, 8300b, Neuquén, Argentina
| | - Facundo Cabezas-Cartes
- Laboratorio de Ecofisiología e Historia de vida de Reptiles, Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medio Ambiente (INIBIOMA–CONICET), Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Quintral 1250, San Carlos de Bariloche, 8400, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Jimena B. Fernández
- Laboratorio de Ecofisiología e Historia de vida de Reptiles, Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medio Ambiente (INIBIOMA–CONICET), Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Quintral 1250, San Carlos de Bariloche, 8400, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Rodrigo Gómez Alés
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, CONICET, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (O), Rivadavia, J5402DCS, San Juan, Argentina
| | - Luciano J. Avila
- Instituto Patagónico para el Estudio de los Ecosistemas Continentales (IPEEC–CONICET), Puerto Madryn, 9120, Chubut, Argentina
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11
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Salva AG, Robles CI, Tulli MJ. Thermal biology of Liolaemus scapularis (Iguania:Liolaemidae) from argentinian northwest. J Therm Biol 2021; 98:102924. [PMID: 34016348 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2021.102924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Thermal traits knowledge is elemental to forecasting the impacts of environmental change on lizard diversity. Daily and seasonal environmental temperature fluctuations are amplified in desert and semi-desert species. As ectotherms, they can ameliorate physiological constrains through behavioral thermoregulation. Herein, we explored the thermal biology and behavioral related aspects of the endangered sand lizard Liolaemus scapularis and compared it between austral spring and summer seasons. The study was carried out in a north sector of Medanos de Cafayate in the SW of Salta province, Argentina. Mean field-body temperature (Tb) of L. scapularis was 35.72 °C ranging from 29.10 to 41.10 °C. Regression analyzes showed that substrate temperature (Ts) was the parameter that best explained the variability of the Tb. Body temperature in spring was only positively related to Ts, whereas in summer the Tb was positively related to air temperature (Ta). Despite GLMs indicated that the Tb of L. scapularis result statistically unchanged through seasons sampled and sexes, micro-environmental temperatures were different for males and females between sampled seasons. The behavioral thermoregulation trait assessed, sun exposure, revealed that the use of patches with different sun input varied with temperature parameters and between seasons. This behavioral trait seems to have a crucial role in the thermal strategy of these lizards in order to maintain an optimal homeostatic state avoiding overheating; still the Tb recorded for the studied population places Liolaemus scapularis in the upper range for the genus. Our results suggest that the species is an active thermoregulator with a hit gain through sand conduction mainly, a relevant shuttling behavior and seasonal intraspecific shifts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Gabriela Salva
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Fundación Miguel Lillo, Miguel Lillo 251, 4000, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina; Instituto de Ecología, Comportamiento y Conservación, Fundación Miguel Lillo, Miguel Lillo 251, T4000JFE, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina.
| | - Cecilia Inés Robles
- Instituto de Ecología, Comportamiento y Conservación, Fundación Miguel Lillo, Miguel Lillo 251, T4000JFE, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina
| | - María José Tulli
- Unidad Ejecutora Lillo, (CONICET-FML), Fundación Miguel Lillo, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e IML, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
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12
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Neel LK, Curlis JD, Kinsey CT, Cox CL, McBrayer LD. Acclimatization in the physiological performance of an introduced ectotherm. J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb201517. [PMID: 32098885 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.201517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 02/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Phenotypic flexibility may facilitate range expansion by allowing organisms to maintain high levels of performance when introduced to novel environments. Phenotypic flexibility, such as reversible acclimatization, permits organisms to achieve high performance over a wide range of environmental conditions, without the costly allocation or acquisition tradeoffs associated with behavioral thermoregulation, which may expedite range expansion in introduced species. The northern curly-tailed lizard, Leiocephalus carinatus, was introduced to the USA in the 1940s and is now established in southern Florida. We measured bite force and the thermal sensitivity of sprinting of L. carinatus during the winter and spring to determine how morphology and performance varied seasonally. We found evidence of seasonal variation in several aspects of physiological performance. Lizards sampled in spring sprinted faster and tolerated higher temperatures, while lizards sampled in winter had high performance over a wider range of temperatures. Furthermore, seasonal differences in physiology were only detected after generating thermal reaction norms. Both sprint and bite force performance did not differ seasonally when solely comparing performance at a common temperature. No seasonal relationships between morphology and performance were detected. Our results suggest that L. carinatus may use reversible acclimatization to maintain high levels of performance across seasons not typically experienced within their native range. Thermal physiology plasticity may ameliorate the impacts of sub-optimal temperatures on performance without the cost of behavioral thermoregulation. Our work highlights the importance of utilizing reaction norms when evaluating performance and the potential ecological impacts of introduced species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren K Neel
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460, USA
| | - John D Curlis
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Chase T Kinsey
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - Christian L Cox
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Lance D McBrayer
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460, USA
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13
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Latitudinal comparison of the thermal biology in the endemic lizard Liolaemus multimaculatus. J Therm Biol 2020; 88:102485. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2019.102485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2019] [Revised: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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14
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Guerra-Correa ES, Merino-Viteri A, Andrango MB, Torres-Carvajal O. Thermal biology of two tropical lizards from the Ecuadorian Andes and their vulnerability to climate change. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0228043. [PMID: 31978205 PMCID: PMC6980609 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0228043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 01/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aims to analyze the thermal biology and climatic vulnerability of two closely related lizard species (Stenocercus festae and S. guentheri) inhabiting the Ecuadorian Andes at high altitudes. Four physiological parameters—body temperature (Tb), preferred temperature (Tpref), critical thermal maximum (CTmax), and critical thermal minimum (CTmin)—were evaluated to analyze the variation of thermophysiological traits among these populations that inhabit different environmental and altitudinal conditions. We also evaluate the availability of operative temperatures, warming tolerance, and thermal safety margin of each population to estimate their possible risks in the face of future raising temperatures. Similar to previous studies, our results suggest that some physiological traits (CTmax and Tb) are influenced by environmental heterogeneity, which brings changes on the thermoregulatory behavior. Other parameters (Tpref and CTmin), may be also influenced by phylogenetic constraints. Moreover, the fluctuating air temperature (Tair) as well as the operative temperatures (Te) showed that these lizards exploit a variety of thermal microenvironments, which may facilitate behavioral thermoregulation. Warming tolerance and thermal safety margin analyses suggest that both species find thermal refugia and remain active without reducing their performance or undergoing thermal stress within their habitats. We suggest that studies on the thermal biology of tropical Andean lizards living at high altitudes are extremely important as these environments exhibit a unique diversity of microclimates, which consequently result on particular thermophysiological adaptations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estefany S. Guerra-Correa
- Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Museo de Zoología, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador
- * E-mail:
| | - Andrés Merino-Viteri
- Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Museo de Zoología, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador
- Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas Laboratorio de Ecofisiología, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador
| | - María Belén Andrango
- Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Museo de Zoología, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador
| | - Omar Torres-Carvajal
- Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Museo de Zoología, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador
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